Hideo Kojima’s worked out exactly how he wants to die: Kicking the popcorn bucket
Video game director Hideo Kojima has shared an unconventional preference for how he’d like to meet his end: by kicking the popcorn bucket in a cinema.
In a post on X, the 62-year-old Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator expressed this morbidly poetic wish, adding another entry to what appears to be an ongoing meditation on mortality. Kojima has been increasingly vocal about death-related themes in recent years, particularly following a health scare in 2020 that prompted him to create the game Physint. His acclaimed title Death Stranding also prominently featured themes of aging and death.
Kojima’s preoccupation with legacy has manifested in practical ways as well. He maintains a USB stick containing game ideas intended for his staff, describing it as a form of “will” to preserve his creative vision beyond his lifetime. This approach reflects his broader concern with ensuring his artistic voice continues to influence future projects.
His desire to expire while watching a film aligns with his well-documented passion for cinema and storytelling. The popcorn bucket reference—a universal symbol of cinema-going—suggests Kojima’s romantic view of movies as the ideal environment for contemplating the human experience, even at life’s end.